On January 21, Assemblyman Bill Conrad introduced A09596 in the New York State Assembly. This bill would overturn the state’s recently implemented Part 494 regulation and harmonize New York’s refrigerant policy with the federal requirements imposed by the AIM Act. Currently, New York’s Part 494 regulation mandates the accelerated phasedown of HFC refrigerants and equipment, and would even ban A2L refrigerants and equipment by 2034. For New York contractors, this means artificially limited availability of otherwise viable refrigerants and equipment, as well as a hazardous rush towards flammable A3s.
A09596 specifically requires that any New York rule regarding HFC refrigerants conform exactly with the regulations issued by EPA under the AIM Act, using a reference date of October 1, 2025. From that point forward, New York would be legally prohibited from enforcing requirements that exceed those of the AIM Act. This would effectively nullify all existing accelerated phaseout timelines, system bans, and lower GWP thresholds that go beyond what is already being enforced at the federal level.
ACCA welcomes this effort and fully supports Assemblyman Conrad’s bill, as it is a meaningful step toward addressing the harmful and unnecessary patchwork of refrigerant regulations at the state level. If you are in New York, you can do your part to support this bill by participating in our A09596 Action Alert to let your Assembly members know why they should support this important legislation.
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